Myer pittenhoefer



NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

MYER DITTENHOEFER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RULER.

QPEO'IE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,481, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed January 2, 1885. Serial No. 151,832. (No model.)

1?) all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYER DITTENHOEFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rulers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in rulers for drawing straight and ornamental lines; and the purpose of my invention is to provide a ruler in which, when the ruling-edges are successively brought in position for ruling, a uniform and regular spacing of lines is effected; also, in providing a ruler with elastic ruling-edges, and in other combinations hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of a ruler containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4. are respectively a side and end view of a ruler slightly modified in form.

a represents a ruler, which is preferably made of rubber molded into the required shape. In general form the body is cylindrical, and is provided with the salient angles or projections 12 and re-entering angles 0, be ing of a star shape in crosssection. In the present case these are constructed on a triangle, so that the ruler has six radial projections or salient angles, b, which extend from end to end of the same. The number of these radial projections may of course vary, and as each of these points forms an edge for guiding the pen, and each in turn is brought into position on the paper, it follows that the greater the number of these projections on the ruler the less will be the spacing between the ruled lines, and vice versa.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the

-ruler a has two of its projections b resting on the paper d. The next upper projection is the ruling-edge for the pen. By then rotating the ruler each projection 72 is successively brought into position over the paper to rule by, and a uniform space is formed between each ruled line. An entire page may be thus lined and spaced with perfect accuracy without removing the ruler from the paper. When a double space is desired between the lines, it is only necessary in rotating the ruler to use every other one of the projections b as a guiding-edge for the pen. If a still greater space is required between the lines, every third projection brought into position by the rotation of the ruler is employed as aruling-edge. In all cases, however, the lines will be uniformly spaced.

In order to prevent any tendency of the ruler to slip on paper having a peculiarlysmooth finish, I tip every other radial projection b with soft rubber or equivalent material, as at e, sufficiently elastic to produce a slight frictional contact when it is rotated on the paper.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is illustrated a ruler having the same number of radial projections 12, but with the projections flattened at the edge sufficiently to permit of two ruling-edges on each projection, as seen atfandf. Some of these edges f may be left straight or smooth, while the opposite edge may be serrated or notched, as seen at 9, whereby a broken line can be ruled. One of these ruling-edges may have a wavy or undulating outline, t, and the other a notched outline, and thus a variety of lines be formed by the use of one ruler.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the ruler will admit of six ornamental ruling-edges, each of which is capable of producing a different style of line, and six smooth or straight line edges. lVhen ruling by the edge f, the pen is held inclining inward, whereas in lining by the edge i it is inclined outward. On the side surfaces formed by the projections 12 may be placed lines to indicate different measurementsas a quarter-inch and inch, as at h. As there are twelve spaces which may be thus utilized by lines indicating divisions varying in degree, various measurements may be taken or set off by simply turning the ruler so that one or the other side thus marked is brought into position over the paper.

WVhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.- As a new article of manufacture, a starshaped ruler with the points of the star rounded off, as set forth.

2. A ruler star-shaped in cross-section,with the points of the star flattened, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A star-shaped ruler having the points of the star tipped with soft rubber or other elastic material, as and for the purpose set forth.

MYER DITTENHOEFER.

Witnesses:

HERMAN G. LOEW, E. G. SMITH. 

